Typewriting machine



Dec. 9, 1941.

L. B. HILL TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed June 28, 1940 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 9, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TYPEWRITING DIACHINE Laurence B. Hill, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to L. C. Smith & Corona Typewriters, Inc., Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 28, 1940, Serial No. 342,863

14 Claims. (01. 197-179) which is of simple and inexpensive construction.

Other objects are to provide in a key-set tabulating mechanism settable and unsettable column stops of simplified and improved construction, to provide an improved universal unsetting or clearing means for the stops and an improved compact assembly of said clearing means and column stops, to provide an improved mounting for said stops, and to provide an improved assembly of the universal clearing means and the settable stops and a stop-carrying bar, the stops and their mounting being so constructed that the stops are readily detachable and attachable individually and the stops are self-held in assembled position and are self-latched releasably in their set and unset positions.

A further object of the invention is to improve and simplify the key-set tabulating mechanism disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,099,011 issued November 16, 1937, to Carl Gabrielson et al., and particularly to provide therein a com- Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

The invention has been shown embodied in an L: C. Smith typewriting machine having a tabulating mechanism constructed as shown in the patent above referred to except as said mechanism is modified by the present improvements.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view of the improved machine taken on the line l-l of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view of the machine taken approximately on the line 22 of Fig. l, certain parts being broken away for clarity of illustration of the stop-setting means;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view partly in section approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail sectional views similar to Fig. 1 illustrating, respectively, the setting of a selected column stop individually in operative position, and the unsetting of a selected set column stop individually into inoperative or cleared position;

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing how any column stop may be detached from and attached to the column stop bar and the column stop pivot wire;

Only so much of the known machine as is necessary for a clear understanding of the present invention has been shown and will be described.

The platen carriage III of the machine has the usual roller platen ll journalled therein and is mounted as usual on the main framework l2 of the machine to travel back and forth transversely of the machine, and is letter-spaced from right to left under control of the usual carriage escapement mechanism (not shown). The carriage I0 is releasable from control of the carriage escapement mechanism by the usual escapementreleasing or carriage-releasing mechanism (not shown) for tabulating jump or running movement of the carriage from right to left in the known manner. Fixedly held to the carriage adjacent opposite ends of the carriage are two brackets l3 which rigidly support the opposite ends of a column stop carrying bar H which extends horizontally transversely of the machine, said stop bar being fixedly held at each of its ends to the adjacent bracket l3 by a screw IS.

The parts heretofore described are constructed as described in the prior patent above mentioned, except for simplification of the structure of brackets i3. The improvements made by the present invention in the tabulating mechanism of the machine of said prior patent will now be described.

The column stop carrying bar It is of oblong cross-section and is held to the brackets i3 with its two wider faces disposed in superposed horizontal planes. This bar is slotted inward from top to bottom thereof along both its front and rear edges at letter-space intervals to provide a row of column stop guiding and spacing slots I0 along the front edge of the bar and a row of column stop guiding and spacing slots I! along the rear edge of the bar. Each slot I6 is directly opposite a different one of the slots I1 and the slots of each row are spaced a letter space apart, there being one slot I6 and an opposed slot ll for each letter-space position of the platen carriage. v

Settable column stops I8 of novel construction, one for each letter-space position of the carriage, are rockably mounted on the stop bar l4, certain of the stops l8 being omitted from the drawing for clarity of illustration. These novel stops have also a novel mounting on a supporting means including the bar, and have a The improved stops are pivotally held to a straight pivot wire I9 which, in the improved construction, is insertible in and removable from a groove 20, which groove is of V-shape in crosssection and extends longitudinally of the stop 1 bar I4 and is formed in the front vertical edge 1 face of the bar.

With the improved stop bar,

3 the wire I9 may be moved transversely of the 1 wire or fore-and-aft oi. the machine bodilyfor 1 disengaging the wire from and engaging it in the groove. with the bar and disengagement of the wire from the bar-is thus provided for and also'the expense of cutting an undercut wire-holding groove of i key-hole cross-section is avoided. The depth of l groove 20 transversely of the bar I4 is substanl tially less than that of slots I0.

The improved stops are adapted to hold the pivot wire I9 in the groove 20 ashereinafter explained, and each of the improved stops is of substantially C-shape in side elevation and con- 1 sists of a single piece of sheet metal. The stops j-are so formed as to be readily stamped in quantity by inexpensive dies from a sheet of metal, 1 and are formed of sheet metal which is slightly 1 resilient or springy, and each stop is so formed 3 as to be slightly resiliently expansible and contractible edgewise of the stop. The improved stops are adapted as hereinafter described to hold themselves and the pivot wire l0 assembled with the stop-carrying means for positively limited pivotal setting and unsetting movements of the 1 stops about the pivot wire and prevent accidental disconnection of any stop and of the pivot wire 3 from the stop bar, while permitting ready assembly of the wire and stops with the bar and disassembly of the stops and wire from the bar, and j permitting individual detachment and attachj ment of any stop from and to the wire and the j j remainder of the stop-carrying means.

The imf proved springy one-piece .sheet metal stops in- 1 clude integral parts thereof which are coactive with the stop-carrying means as hereinafter explained to positively arrest pivotal movement of each stop in a set or operative position and in i an unset or inoperative cleared position, as well as to prevent accidental disassembly of the stops j and pivot wire from the stop-carrying means. 1 The improved stops are also formed with integral 0 5 means coactive with a universal stop-unsetting or clearing device, and said stops are provided 1 with integral means coactive with a device for 1 individually setting and unsetting the stops, the

last-mentioned one of which two devices may be,

and preferably is, identical with the device provided in the machine of the prior patent above I referred to for individually setting and unsetting 1 any selected column stop. The improved stops 1 are also provided with integral means coactive I when the stops are set with a suitable counter 1 stop on the machine frame, which frame-carried 1 counter stop may be, and preferably is, identical 1 with the frame stop of the machine of said prior 1 patent and is similarly controlled.

Ready engagement of the pivot wire Each of the improved one-piece sheet metal stops I8 is constructed as follows in the preferred 1 embodiment shown in the drawing. Each stop I0 3 consists of a substantially c-shaped piece of sheet.

metal which is resilient edgewise of the stop and of the sheet of metal. Adjacent one end of the stop is formed a pivot bearingin the form of a slot I8 which is open at one end. The slot I0 is wide enough for passage of wire I9 through the open end of the slot to the closed end of the slot, and the open end of said slot I8 faces approximately toward the opposite or free end of the C-shaped stop I0. Each stop is formed at its outer edge with two integral projections or lugs 22 and 23 spaced apart along the stop and extending outwardly substantially radially to the pivotal axis of the stop. At its inner edge each stop I8 is formed with two integral projectionsor'lugs 24'and 25 extending inwardly substantially toward the pivotal axis of the stop, projection 25 being formed at the free end of the stop. Between projections 24 and 25 and close to projection 25, each stop I8 is formed at its inner edge with a stop-latching projection or cam hump 28 which projects inwardly a lesser distance than projections 24 and 25.

A flat metal latching and retaining bar I00 for all of the column stops I0 is held flatwise against the under face of the stop-carrying bar l4 by clamping screws l0I threaded into the bar I4. Bar I00 is provided with slots I02 extending transversely of the bar, and the shanks of the screws IOI extend through these slots to permit bar I00 to be clamped to bar I4 in different foreand-aft adjusted positions of the bar I00 with the rear edge of bar I00 protruding rearward slightly beyond the root ends or foremost ends of the slots I1, but not to the rear or open ends of slots II, as shown; The rear edge of bar I00 is preferably rounded as shown most clearly in Fig. 6. Bar I00 extends longitudinally of bar I4 past all stops of the set of column stops l0, and the cam hump 28 of each stop I3 is adapted to snap above and below said edge to releasably lock the stop in unset and set positions respectively. Projection 25 of each stop It is adapted to engage under said bar I00 to arrest unsetting movement of the stop.

A novel universal unsetting device, operable to simultaneously unset or move to cleared inoperative position all stops I3 which may be set at any time, is detachably mounted on the top of the stop-carrying bar l4 and extends through the entire set of stops I8 which straddle both said universal unsetting device and the bar I4.

The universal unsetting device comprises a rock shaft 3| of circular cross-section having reduced coaxial bearing end portions 3| to the outer end of one of which is removably fixed at 38 a forwardly extending operating rock arm 36 formed with a key or finger-piece 31, said arm and key being located at the right-hand side of the carriage outwardly beyond the adjacent bracket I3. Between its reduced bearing'end portions the rock shaft 3| is formed with an integral flat fln 32 which projects rearwardly from the shaft and extends past all of the stops I8 and normally lies flatwise against the top face of bar I4. Fin 32 is substantially tangential to the periphery of themain part of the rock shaft 3|, and said shaft and its fin overlie the unslotted medial portion. of the bar H.

To detachably and rockably hold the rock shaft 3| to the bar I4, a pair of sheet metal bearing brackets I03 are detachably held to the top face of bar I4 by screws I04. Each bracket has a pair of integral upstanding forwardly extending hook-shaped arms I05 hooked over the adjacent reduced bearingend portion 3| of shaft 3| to hold the main portion of said shaft rockably to and against the top face of bar I4 with fin 32- underlying the projections 24 of the several column stops, which projections are engageable with the top face of the fin to positively arrest setting movement of stops I8. The innermost arms I05 of the brackets I03 abut the ends of the main portion of shaft 3| to hold the shaft against axial movement, as is most clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

To restore and normally yieldingly hold the universal stop unsetter 3I32 in the normal position thereof above described and shown in the drawing, there is provided a novel self-holding but readily detachable return spring I06 which, like the column stops, is stamped of substantially C-shape from resilient sheet metal for edgewise resilient expansion and contraction of the spring transversely of the shaft 3| and bar I4. This c-shaped spring I 06 has an open-ended pivot slot I08 in one end thereof similar to the slot I8 in each of the column stops I8 for detachable pivotal engagement of the spring I06 with 'the stop pivot wire I9. The stop bar I4 is provided with a slot I8 (Fig. 7) similar to slots I6 for receiving and guiding the pivoted slotted end of spring I08. The spring I08 is arched over the shaft 3! and its free end is engaged with and yieldingly presses constantly against shaft 3| and fin 32 above the fin substantially at the juncture of the fin with said shaft. Spring I06 is thus detachably and resiliently self-held in an assembled position in which it normally yieldingly holds the universal stop unsetter in the normal idle position of the latter shown in the drawing.

From the foregoing it will be observed that the column stops I8 and spring I06 are resiliently and detachably self-held in operative relation with the supporting means therefor, and that any stop I8, or the spring I06, may be readily detached from the supporting means by first abnormally resiliently expanding the desired stop or, in the case of spring I06, by first abnormally expanding the spring, and then pulling either the stop or the spring (as the case may be) edgewise from its operative position.

It will also be obvious from the foregoing that the common pivot wire I9 for the stops I8 and spring I06 is releasably held in the groove 20 by the contractive spring pressures constantly exerted by the stops and by said spring I08 while any of said stops and said spring are operatively assembled on the stop and spring-supporting means. In all operative working positions of spring I06 and of any stop I8 the opposite ends of the spring or of the stop, as the case may be, are preferably spring-urged substantially toward each other by the inherent resilience of the spring or of the stop, as the case may be. In other words, in all working positions both spring I 08 and all stops I8 are preferably at least slightly resiliently expanded and tend constantly to contract. Each stop I8 preferably when assembled on its supporting means constantly exerts substantially opposite pressure on wire I9 and bar I00.

The spacing of the projections 24, 25 and 28 of each stop I8 are such, as shown, that upon rocking of any stop I8 from its unset or cleared inoperative position of Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5 to its set or operative position of Fig. 4, the cam hump or latching projection 28 will be forced down past the rear edge of bar I00 and engage under the latter as projection 24 engages the top face of fin 32 of the universal unsetter 3I-32't0 positively arrest the pivotal setting movement of the stop I8. Upon rocking of any stop I8 from its set position to its unset position, the cam hump 28 will be forced upward past the rear edge of bar I00 and engage over the latter as projection 28 engages the under face of the bar I00 adjacent the rear edge of bar I00 to positively arrest unsetting pivotal movement of the stop I8.

It will also be obvious that by pressing down on the key or finger-piece 31 the fin 32 of the universal unsetter 3l-32 may be rocked upward and forward to unset any one or more of the stops I8 which may be set at the time of depression of the finger-piece, said fin in this operation thrusting against the projection 24 of any set stop to move the stop to unset position.

By abnormally resiliently expanding any stop I8 it may be pulled off its supporting means. By abnormally resiliently expanding spring I08 it may be pulled off its supporting means.

Each stop I8 is arched over bar I4 and universal unsetter 3I32, and projections 22 and 23 of each stop extend generally rearwardly from the downwardly extending rear portion of the C-shaped stop for coaction with an individual stop setter and unsetter 4I-43 by means of which stops I8 may be individually set and unset selectively. This individual stop-setting and unsetting means is only partly shown and described herein as it is the same as that disclosed in the prior patent above referred to. So much of said means as is necessary to full understanding of the advantages of the present invention and its relation to the new features, is shown and will be nowbriefiy described.

Said last-mentioned means comprises the individual stop-setter and unsetter 4I--43 rockable by key-applied force either to the position shown in Fig. 4 or to the position shown in Fig. 5 from the normal idle intermediateposition of said setter and unsetter shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and automatically returned to said last-mentioned position from-either of the first two mentioned positions upon release of the key-applied force. The setter and unsetter comprises a yoke 4i having its two legs pivoted at their rear ends on a fixed pin 42, one leg of said yoke being formed with a stop-setting and unsetting finger 43. Pin 42 extends horizontally transversely of the machine and is fixed in the main frame I2 of the machine above and behind the stop bar I4.

The key-controlled means for so shifting the stop setter and unsetter 4I-43 from, and restoring it to, idle position includes a vertically reciprocable link 45 connected at 44 to the righthand leg of yoke 4 I, and a vertically reciprocable link 53 connected to link 45 by a cross-pin or cross-rod 54 rigid with both links. Shifting of the link device 455354 upward by key-applied force from a normal position thereof to which it is automatically restored upon release of key force rocks the stop setter and unsetter from normal position to that of Fig. 5 to unset a single set stop I8 aligned with the finger 43, the finger thrusting against projection 22 of said stop to unset the stop. Shifting of the link device downward by key-applied force from its normal idle position to which it is restored upon release of the applied key force rocks the stop setter'and unsetter from its normal idle position to that of Fig. 4 to set a single stop I8 aligned with finger 43, the finger thrusting against projection 23 of the stop to set the stop.

Restoration of the rigid link device 46-53-34 3 to normal position restores the stop setter and unsetter "-43 to normal position.

The finger 43 of the device "-43, which l8 and in each letter-space position of travel of the carriage adiiferent one of the stops I8 is located in the same vertical fore-and-aft plane through the machine in which the finger 43 lies. The finger 43 normally projects in between f the projections 22 and 23 of any stop l3 aligned ltherewith. The spacing apart of the two projections 22 and 23 of each stop 13 is such that during travel of the carriage, while the stop setter and unsetter 4l-43 is in idle or neutral position, the projections 22 of all stops l8 will pass above the finger 43 and the projections 23 of all stops l8 will pass below finger 43 whether the stops be set or unset. The spacing apart of the projections 22 and of each stop I8 is also such that, when said stop is registered with finger 43,

downward swinging of the finger from idle position will set that stop by thrust of the finger on projection 23 and upward swinging of the finger:

from idle position will unset the stop by thrust of the finger against projection 22, but return movement of the finger to idle position will not,

shift the stop.

The projections 23 of the column stops l8- also serve as abutment elements of said stops for coaction with a suitable settable counter stop 86 on the machine frame in tabulating operations.

The counter stop 86 shown, and the means for setting it, correspond to those disclosed in the prior patent above mentioned. This counter stop 86 is located substantially midway the sides of the machine and is guided at its upper end adjacent the stop bar M in a fore-and-aft extending slot 81 in a part of the main frame 12.

Suitable key-controlled means as set out in said prior patent are provided for releasing the carriage for a tabulating jump from right to left and shifting the counter stop 33 from a normal idle position of said stop shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to an active position of said stop 86 shown in Fi 4.

When counter stop 86 is in idle position stops i8 will freely pass it whether stops l8 are set or unset. When counter stop 36 is in active position all'unset ones of the stops l8 will-pass it but no set stop l8 will pass it. The projections 23 of set stops l8 will collide sidewise with the activ or set counter stop 86 in successive tabulating jumps or ms of the carriage; The projection 23 of each set stop I8 is substantially directly behind and close to the stop bar l4 so that it will be firmly supported laterally by the side walls of slot II in which the set stop I8 is engaged.

What I claim is:

l. A typewriting or like machine of the kind having a platen carriage supported for travel back and forth in a path extending transversely of the machine, and a tabulating mechanism for controlling tabulating movements of said carriage, characterized in that said tabulating mechanism comprises supporting means for a set of column stops, and a set of one-piece sheet metal'column stops separably straddling said .7

to said supporting means for individual setting and unsetting of the stops and individual separation and attachment of any stop respectively from and to the supporting means, each stop being rockable about its pivotal axis to set said stop and being resiliently contractible and exing means and is disengageable from the supporting means by intentional abnormal resilient expansion of the stop to permit detachment of I,

the stop from the supporting means.

2. A typewriting or like machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that each column stop, v is of substantially c-shape and has at oneof its ends a pivot-bearing aperture which is open at one side for separable engagement of the-stop edgewisely thereof with a stop pivot member.

3. A typewriting or like machine of the kind having a platen carriage supported for travel back and forth, and a tabulating mechanism for controlling tabulating movements of saidcarriage, wherein said tabulating mechanism comprises a supporting means for a set of column stops, a universal unsetting or clearing device simultaneously operable upon all setcolumn stops to unset or shift said stops to a cleared inoperative position, and a set of column stops each or which straddles said supporting means and said universal unsetting device and is pivotally mounted on said supporting means for opposite rocking of the stops individually transversely of the supporting means and universal unsetting device to set and unset the stops.

4. A typewriting or like machine as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that each column stop is individually resfliently self-held to the supporting means for positively limited setting and unsetting movements, is individually resiliently self-held to the supporting means against accidental detachment therefrom, and has separated ends resiliently abnormally spreadable for intentional detachment of the stop from the supporting means.

5. A typewriting or like machine as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the universal unsetting device for the column stops is detachably and rockably mounted on the column stop supporting means for rocking of said device about an axis parallel with the pivotal axes of the column stops.

6.'A typewriting or like machine of the kind 7 having a platen carriage supported for travel back and forth, and a key-set tabulating mechanism for controlling tabulating movements of the carriage, wherein said key-set tabulating mechafor rocking of the stops individually transversely of said path into set and unset positions, each column stop rockably straddling the stop-carrying means and having a pair of spaced internal projections, and each stop also having a pair of supporting means and separably pivotally held spaced external projections for alternate engagement by an individual stop setter and unsetter to set and unset the stop, and a universal stop unsetter mounted on the carriage and straddled by all of the column stops and operable upon one of the internal projections of any set column stop to unset the latter, said last-mentioned internal stop projection of each column stop being engageable with the universal unsetter to limit setting movement of the column stop and the remaining internal projection of each column stop to limit unsetting movement of the column stop. being engageable with the stop-carrying means '1. A typewriting or like machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein each column stop releasably straddles and resiliently grips the stop-carrying means and is individually releasably pivotally held to the stop-carrying means, ach stop being detachable upon intentional abnormal resilient expansion of the stop.

8. A typewriting or like machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein each stop is formed of a single piece of metal, is of arched form in side view and is edgewisely resiliently expansible and contractible.

9. A typewriting or like machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein each stop is of arched form in side view, is edgewisely resiliently expansible and contractible, and is slotted inward from one edge adjacent one end to provide an open pivot bearing, and wherein the stop-carrying means includes a common pivot wire for all the column stops, which wire extends through the pivot bearing slots of the several column stops.

10. A tabulating mechanism, comprising a column stop assembly including, in combination, a column stop carrying bar having along each of two opposite longitudinal edges thereof a row of inwardly extending slots, a set of arched column stops inherently resiliently expansible and longitudinally of said bar, a set of column stops rockable about said wire to set and unset the stops and each having a pivot slot open at one end to receive said wire, a universal unsetter for said stops comprising a rock shaft held to one face of said bar and formed with a longitudinal stop-unsetting fin substantially tangential to said shaft and normally abutting said bar face,

a finger piece connected to said shaft for rocking contractible straddling said bar and each engaged in two opposite ones of the slots in said bar, a universal unsetter for the column stops straddled by all the column stops and shiftably mounted on said bar at one face of the bar between the two rows of slots for movement to simultaneously unset any set column stops, and a pivot wire for the column stops extending across the slots of one of said rows of slots and held to said bar.

11. A tabulating mechanism as claimed in claim 10, wherein ea h column stop is formed adjacent one end with a pivot slot open at one end and detachably embracing the pivot wire, each column stop has two inwardly extending projecticns'engageable respectively with the universal unsetter and the opposite face of the stopcarrying bar to limit setting and unsetting rocking movements of the column stops about the pivot wire, there is held to said opposite face of the stop-carrying bar a column stop latching bar which is adjustable transversely of the bar and overlaps the row of slots through which the free ends of the column stops extend, and each column stop has a cam hump between its said two inwardly extending projections adapted to snap over the adjacent edg of said latch bar to releasably latch the column stop in set and unset positions.

12. A tabulating mechanism comprising a. column stop carrying bar, a pivot wire extending the shaft, and an arched sheet metal return spring for said unsetter having a pivot slot open at oneend to receive said pivot wire, said spring having its free end engaged against the fin at the junction of the fin and rock shaft to normally urge the fin against the bar, each column stop having a shoulder overhanging the fin for engagement by the fin upon rocking of the shaft by the finger piece to unset all set ones of the column stops.

13. In a typewriting machine, th combination of a column stop bar provided at each of two opposite edges thereof with a row of inwardly extending slots, a set of resiliently expansible one-piece column stops of arched form in side view to releasably straddle and grip the column stop bar, each stop having portions engaged in one slot of each row of slots, and a pivot wire for the set of stops extending across all the slots of one of said rows of slots, each of the stops having an open slot pivotal engagement with the said wire and a shiftable and releasable engagement with the bar adjacent the opposite slotted edge of the barby which the stops are releasably held to the pivot wire and to the bar and the stops may be rocked about the pivot wire for setting and unsetting the stops, said stops being resiliently expansible to individually free the stops from the bar and detach them from the pivot wire.

14. In a key set 'tabulating mechanism, a rockably settable and unsettable column stop formed of a single narrow sheet metal strip inherently s'pringy and edgewisely resiliently expansible, said stop being of substantially arched form in side view to straddle a stop-carrying bar, one end of said stop being formed with a pivot-bearing slot which is at the inner edge of the stop and opens toward the other end of the stop to-receive a pivot wire, the other end of the stop having inwardly extending spaced projections adapted to engage the stop-carrying bar for positively limiting the pivotal setting and unsetting movement of the stop, one of which projections is engageable with the stop-carrying bar to prevent accidental disassembly of the stop from the stop-carrying bar, said stop being resiliently expansible between its ends for attachment to and detachment from th stop-carrying bar and the pivot wire, and resiliently contractible to exert substantially opposed pressures on the pivot wire and the stop-carrying bar while assembled on the bar in straddling position to hold the stop connected to thepivot wire and to the bar and to prevent accidental disassembly of the stop from the bar and to yieldingly hold the stop in its set and unset positions, said stop having projections for coaction with stop-setting and unsetting means and for engagement with a counter-stop.

LAURENCE B. HILL. 

